Birds of Hell MC, page 25
“Hello,” I call out like an idiot. I’d surely be the first victim in a horror film.
No one answers me. I try to remember what I can about the man who kidnapped me. My short-term memory is hazy at best. How long was I out the first time and now the second? How long have I been missing? I have no sense of time. I have no recollection of how I got here.
Is Fisher looking for me? Yara must have lost her mind when she got to the house and found me gone.
I know they won’t stop looking till they find me, but will they know where to look? What if the person who murdered April and Hillary has me? What if Death doesn’t have me at all or what if Death is the killer?
Bile burns in my throat at the thought that one of the babies or both could belong to someone capable of such horrible crimes.
I hear a door creak and turn toward the sound. Light spills from the doorway and I know where I am.
Chapter Thirteen
“Twins. Shit. Not surprised. It’s in our blood.” Crow slaps me on the back.
I heard he was back, so I came to the clubhouse after work to talk to him about Freya and me. Out of respect I owed it to him to approach him like a man and let him know that Freya and I are having twins. That I’m going to do right by her by making her my Ol’ Lady.
“You better treat her right, bro.” Gentry makes like he’s going to catch me in the jaw with another of his mean punches.
“Save it for the competition.” I grin. He makes a lot of money for the club when he wins a fight. He brought in thirty grand from his win in West Virginia.
“You’re lucky my sister loves your ass.”
“I know I am.” I glance at my phone and notice the screen is black. Fuck. Freya is going to kill me. I have no clue what time it is. Damn. “Hey, can I use your phone to call Freya?” I motion to Whiskey.
“Already got you whipped,” Zuko says with a shake of his head. “You’ll never catch me catering to a woman.”
“For the right one you’ll bow down,” Crow tells him.
“Then I take it you never met the right one then,” Fat Bastard says with a chuckle.
We all laugh then Cate clears her throat, and we all go quiet. Shit. Prez walked into that. I’d forgotten she was here. I don’t know what’s up with her and Cro., Not that their relationship is really any of my business, but it affects Freya and that makes it my concern. Especially now that Cate is back in my woman’s life. Or seems to be for now. I hope she doesn’t pull another disappearing act. Freya could really use her mom in her corner right now.
All girls want to plan their wedding with their mother and Cate has experience having twins. She can give Freya advice no one else can other than maybe Freya. That isn’t the same though. That’s her sister.
Freya acts all tough but deep down she craves her mom’s affection and attention. Cate leaving wasn’t easy for her. Yara tried. She did her best for Freya.
Speaking of Yara as Whiskey produces his cell phone his wife bursts through the door of the Crow’s Nest appearing absolutely devastated.
Her face is red and puffy. Her chest heaves with every strained breath she takes, like the woman has been running in a marathon. “Freya’s missing,” she cries. Tears stream down her cheeks as her words register in my head.
I jump up at the same time as everyone else. “What do you mean Freya’s missing?”
Yara is blubbering and snotting. All her words jumble together. She’s talking so fast and not making a damn lick of sense.
Whiskey grabs her by the shoulders and gives her a good shake. “Slow down and pronounce your damn words good and slow, woman. We don’t know what the fuck you’re on about.”
Yara holds up what I recognize as Freya’s cell phone. I know it’s hers by the case. “Freya called me wanting to know if Whiskey knew where Fisher is. I told her that you were probably here because I knew you were swinging by after work. Anyway, she told me that Death showed up at your place acting all crazy. Telling her how he knows she doesn’t really love you.”
“What the absolute fucking fuck. Death and Freya?” Crow growls.
“That’s not what’s important,” I interrupt his tirade. “Get to the part where Freya is missing.”
“I told her me and the kids would come over until you got home since she couldn’t get in contact with you. Only when I got there, the front door was wide open and no Freya. I found her phone with all these text from two unknown numbers. I’m assuming the messages are from him. Do you think he killed April and Hillary? Like he wanted to get you out of the way so he could have Freya to himself? What if he killed Bensen and Belinda?”
“Where’s Death?” I grit through my teeth right as the bastard has the balls to show his face.
I go running and spear him in the stomach with my head, taking him down to the ground. “Where’s Freya, you piece of shit?” I pop him one in the mouth as Gentry, Crow, and Zuko join me. Punches and kicks are flying until Whiskey fires a shot into the ceiling.
“He can’t tell you where she is if you beat him unconscious. Jesus.”
I shove up off Death as he holds a rib. “You fuckers want to tell me why the fuck you’re attacking me?” he coughs, spitting blood onto the floor.
“My sister has gone missing, you psycho. We know you went all weird and crazy on her earlier because she told you that she doesn’t want anything to do with you and you can’t take no for an answer. Did you kill her like them other girls? Are you trying to frame Fisher, so he’ll go back to prison?” Yara is like a damn bloodhound. I thought she hated me but guess I was wrong.
Though farfetched, her theory makes sense.
“If I wanted Fisher gone, I wouldn’t have to kill some women to accomplish the goal. Yeah, I had words with Freya because I know she’s lying, and her baby could be mine. Sorry, brother.” He looks to Crow. “I’d never fucking hurt her though. You telling me something has happened to Freya?”
“Yeah, asshole. Yara says she called after you went bat shit crazy on her. Says there are text messages and now Freya is missing.”
“You try calling her?” he winces, as he gets to his feet.
“I have her phone, dipshit. Catch up with the program. I know you took her. I told her not to get involved with you,” Yara cries and Whiskey grabs her from behind before she can attack Death.
Personally, I’d let her go crazy on his ass, but Whiskey is right. We need to hear what the fucker has to say for himself.
“Start talking now,” Crow demands.
“I’m going looking for Freya. Maybe she went for a walk or a drive and forgot her phone.”
“Her car was there. She was scared. I could hear the fear in her voice,” Yara tells me.
“You swear to me you don’t know where she is?” My question is for Death and Death alone.
“You really think I’d kidnap Freya?” I stare him down and though I may hate him I believe him.
“If you don’t have her then who does?”
“My guess is whoever killed them poor girls,” Cate speaks up.
My blood runs cold at the suggestion. If something happens to Freya, I’ll never forgive myself.
“We need to split into teams. Whatever beef Death and Fisher have over Freya right now isn’t important,” Crow steps back into his role of Prez fast. “The sooner we are all out there searching, the quicker we will find her. Someone call Keys and get him in the surveillance room. See if he can hack into the feeds of the different security cameras posted around town.”
Cate has Yara and Whiskey’s kids in the kitchen, distracting them with ice cream. Fat Bastard calls Keys. Zuko and Gentry are leaving to head back to my place and see if they can find any clues. I’m trying to hold it together and not lose my fucking mind. I don’t know whether to stay or go. Every second I’m not doing something to find her is one wasted.
“You need a drink.” Death coughs and hands me a glass of bourbon.
“What I need is for Freya to be found. Did you see anyone? Does anything stick out in your mind? Was she still wearing her Jackyl t-shirt with those jeans that have a hole on the pocket?”
“You expect me to know that?”
“I’d fuckin’ know. I know that she always wears a silver bangle that was Cate’s. I know that she switched from her boots to her Converse because the season is changing. That she flips her pillow to the cool side in the middle of the night without waking up. That she always dabs an extra drop of perfume on each of her wrists. I know everything about her. I made it a point to know because when you love someone you know all their habits and when you see them you remember small stuff like what the fuck they are wearing.”
“Why aren’t we calling the police?” Yara gripes.
“Because we take care of our own,” Crow reminds her. “Besides, we’ll find her quicker than our shit show of a sheriff’s department will.”
“I can’t just sit here doing nothing. I’ve gotta get out there and find her.”
“I’m coming with you,” Death states.
He’s the last person I want riding with me, except the more eyes searching for Freya the better. And if anyone else is invested in finding her it’s him, even if it’s to clear his name. He could be holding her somewhere and helping me look to keep me off his damn trail. They say most victims know their killer. And they always show up to the vigils and searches. If he had anything to do with her disappearance or what happened to Hillary, I’ll make his end a painful one.
“If you were a sick bastard who wanted to leave Freya somewhere she’d be found, where would you take her?”
Death stares at me with his bloodied lip. “I’d bring her here.”
“Exactly. Right under our damn noses. Fuck waiting for Keys. Let’s check the cameras.”
Death and I go into the camera room where all the monitors are hooked up.
I rewind through the footage from tonight.
“Hold on go back. Whose car is that?”
Before Death and Yara shows up on the recording there’s a vehicle on the property neither of us recognize.
Chapter Fourteen
“It was you. You killed April and Hillary, but why?”
“I’ll ask the questions. Not you. I’m in charge. You’re going to finally see me like they finally did. I thought you were different. You’re not though. Exactly like all the rest. Thinking I’m a creep. Brushing me off. Treating me like I’m nothing. I’m somebody.” He thumps a fist against his chest.
“I know you are. I thought we were friends.”
“Friends? I never wanted to be your friend, Freya. That day at the mall when you flirted with me, I thought you finally saw me. That you were giving me a signal. Waving your panties at me. I thought things were turning around for us. I went to April’s place to tell her you’d forgiven me for cheating on you with her. Freya wanted me back. I was getting my girl back. I killed April for you. She hurt you and needed to pay for being such a whore. She taunted me. Made me think she wanted me. She used me. When I told her that I wanted her to apologize for betraying you she laughed. Told me you wouldn’t give me the time of day.” He shakes his head and punches his temple. “Stop laughing at me,” he screams. “I don’t listen to you, bitch.”
What the absolute fuck. He’s crazy. “I’m not laughing at you.”
“Not you. April. Don’t you hear her?”
I freeze unsure of how to respond. Jimbo has gone off the deep end. I need to keep him talking. Convince him that I’m on his side. I think he believes he’s Fisher. Dude is a complete whackadoo and needs an intervention.
“And Hillary?”
He smiles at me. “All I wanted to do was be her friend. She’d always been nice to me. Would bring me and Momma dinners. I saw her run out of the movies crying so I followed her. I only wanted to make sure she was okay. Then she told me about all the impure thoughts she’d been having. That she felt like she was betraying God because she wanted to kiss and do other stuff. That she’d been good since the one time she messed up in high school. I asked what she was talking about and that’s when she confided in me she’d had an abortion. She was a sinner. A whore like April. She wasn’t loyal like you. But you…”
“And me? What do you plan to do with me?”
“You’re going to pay for cheating on me. I know what you did.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know it’s not my baby you’re pregnant with. I know you went behind my back.”
Holy shit. He truly thinks he’s Fisher. What the actual fuck?
“Jimbo.”
“That’s not my name. You know who I am. Call me by my name.”
“I’m sorry, Fisher.” I play along with his sick and twisted fantasy. “I’d never cheat on you. I love you.” The words taste bitter on my tongue, but I’ll tell him whatever he wants to hear if it keeps me safe.
“April tried to trick you and Hillary tried to replace you, but they can’t. We’re going to be together forever. I just have to fix you first.” He brandishes his knife.
“Fix me how?”
“I’m going to make you pure again.”
“What?”
“I’ve got to cleanse your body of betrayal. Then we can be together like we always wanted.” He has this evil glint in his dark eyes. Like he has absolutely no soul.
Fear grips me as I find it hard to catch my breath. Now isn’t the time to have a panic attack.
I swallow. I need him to get close enough so I can try to get the knife.
I won’t allow this deranged man to hurt my babies.
He takes a step toward me, and I take a step back, wishing my wrists weren’t tied together, trying to formulate my next move.
“Don’t be scared of me.”
“I’m not,” I lie, hoping he doesn’t hear the slight wobble in my tone.
His head turns toward a sound outside and I know now is my chance to go for the knife. I rush forward, praying I haven’t just made a deadly mistake. I plow into Jimbo, catching him off guard. The knife slips from his grip and I drop to my knees to grab it.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he roars, red faced as he kicks me in the left side. I hear a sickening crunch that sounds like my ribs cracking. Pain radiates through my body like a hot poker burning me from the inside out. I should’ve run.
I attempt to suck in a breath, but the act hurts so bad I may faint. A piercing stabbing pain radiates up my side. Unable to muster the energy to get up off the floor, all I can do is curl into a protective ball and hope he hasn’t done something to hurt my babies.
My captor towers over me and tears the knife from my hand, the blade slicing through my palm. If I don’t get up, he’s going to kill me. I’ll be another tragic headline in the local paper like April and Hillary. Jimbo will frame Fisher and this time he may actually get away with it.
“The others tried to fight too,” he tells me as the door to the cabin is kicked in. Fisher charges into the room followed by Death. I watch in horror as Fisher and Jimbo wrestle for the knife. Death lifts me out of the way, into his protective hold, and I burst into tears from the pain of being moved.
“You’re okay, doll. I got you.” His lips brush my ear as he carries me out of the cabin.
“You need to help Fisher.” I look over his shoulder and back into the cabin as glass shatters and furniture breaks.
“He can take him. I promised I’d get you out of there.”
“We can’t just leave him.” I thump on his back. “Let me go. We have to go back.”
Death ignores my pleas, carrying me further away. He drops me at the base of some trees and calls my father. “Yeah. She needs medical. I’m going back to Fisher now.”
He nods at me then kisses my forehead before sprinting back toward the cabin. I clutch my side ready to crawl back to Fisher if I have to.
“We’re going to need to take you in for further observation. You’ll need an x-ray.”
“She’s also pregnant,” my mother informs the EMT who is checking me out in the back of their ambulance.
“Your blood pressure is good. Pulse is a little high but with what you’ve been through that’s expected. Don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of you.”
It’s not me I’m worried about. It’s been more than thirty minutes and I’ve yet to see or hear from Fisher.
“I’ll be riding with her if that’s all right. Well, I don’t care if it isn’t. I’m her mom.” My mother climbs up in the ambulance as they close the doors.
“Where’s Fisher?” Panic sets in and I don’t want to leave until I know he’s okay.
“He’ll meet us there. Don’t worry.” Mom squeezes my hand, but I can see the worry etched in the wrinkles lining her eyes. “Let’s focus on getting you checked out. You have two little ones to protect.”
I don’t have much of a choice. I could have refused care. I know that they are right though. I have to think about my children before myself. I can’t afford to be selfish when it comes to their health.
“Good news. Nothing appears to be broken. No internal bleeding. You’re going to be sore and have a nasty contusion. The stitches in your hand should heal up nicely as long as you keep it clean and follow the instructions that will be printed out for you once you’re discharged. I’ve prescribed antibiotics that are totally safe for you while pregnant as a precautionary. You’ll need to take it easy over the next few days. There will be plenty of discomfort. You can have Tylenol if the pain gets to be too great. Everything looks good with your labs. Your babies are fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you, Dr Francis,” my mother speaks in my place.
I’m too interested in seeing Fisher to really register what he’s talking about.
Jimbo managed to stab Fisher in his upper thigh. Luckily, he didn’t nick a major artery and it’s a superficial flesh wound that should heal in no time. Jimbo however wasn’t as lucky. I don’t know all the details yet. What I do know is that he’s breathing through a tube. Not only did Fisher and Death have a go at him, so did my brothers and my father.
